101 John Smiths

The name John Smith has for generations been synonymous with the notion of the “average man”. This idea, which was empirically described and illustrated by French scientist Adolphe Quetelet in his 1835 book, Sur l’homme et le développement de ses facultés, ou Essai de physique sociale, suggests that in regards to the human condition, normality and commonality are interchangeable terms.

Although in English speaking countries the name John Smith has lost popularity it is however the most popular name on the social media website Facebook. By collecting the profile images of 101 John Smiths, the question of a “photographic average man” is raised; does today’s digital man fit within a bell curve?